Roundup: Xi's speech inspires confidence in progress of global sustainable transport, experts say

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Commenting on Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference, experts from various countries have said that Xi's speech inspired confidence in the cause of global sustainable transport.

In his address via video link on Thursday, Xi urged efforts from all countries to strengthen both hard connectivity of infrastructure and soft connectivity of institutions and rules, and develop four-dimensional connectivity of land, sea, air and the Internet.

After the conference kicked off on Thursday, several experts said they were impressed by China's pledge to work jointly with the international community to promote global transport cooperation and achieve mutual benefits through connectivity.

Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar, said that sustainable transport serves as a cornerstone of "human prosperity and planet wellness." This UN conference "comes at an important point in history when the world grapples with the challenges related to climate change and sustainable development," he said.

"More efforts should be directed at creating more sustainable transport systems in developing countries to unlock their economic potential," said Adhere.

Regarding Xi's announcement that China will set up a Global Innovation and Knowledge Center for Sustainable Transport, Abid Qaiyum Suleri, executive director of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Pakistan, said that it will "definitely provide a strong support to global sustainable transport development."

"All those announcements and projects to achieve the goal of combating climate change are backed by China's strength in innovations, research and knowledge," he added.

Mostafa Ibrahim, vice-president of the Chinese-Egyptian Business Council, was impressed by China's "leaps in the automobile industry especially new energy vehicles" to fulfill its commitment to carbon emission cut.

Referring to the Global Innovation and Knowledge Center for Sustainable Transport, Ibrahim said, "I believe that China will continuously provide good ideas and experiences in the transportation field to the whole world. It will benefit more parties," especially developing countries.

Charles Onunaiju, director of the Abuja-based Center for China Studies, said that China's initiative aligns with Nigerian economic and national aggregates.

"For the Chinese, the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind is not rhetoric," he said, adding that "China is providing the roadmap."

The three-day conference underscores the importance of sustainable transport to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Representatives from 171 countries gathered online and in person for the event.